Govia Thameslink and Northern Rail abandon timetable changes following travel chaos

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Rail timetable changes proposed for December are to be discarded in an effort to avoid a repeat of the travel chaos that swept the country in May. The Network Rail chairman, Sir Peter Hendy, said: “The railway industry has taken a long, hard look at its plans for the next timetable change in December and, taking into account recent painful lessons, the industry has scaled back its ambition and tempered it with a more cautious, phased approach to introducing the new timetable. “The railway is too vital for the health and wealth of our country to risk a repeat of the mistakes of May, and this more balanced approach of ambition and caution is absolutely the right thing to do for the millions who rely on our railway every day.” Both Thameslink and Northern rail services are expected to run the full May timetable by the end of the year. Paul Plummer, the chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators and Network Rail, said: “Our ambition to deliver a once-in-a-generation step change in the quality of rail services is right, but reliability for customers must come first, and that’s what today’s announcement aims to ensure.”